Today I have spent the day not feeling well again however, I still managed to enjoy myself by loading up some serious classics on Netflix. To me, there is nothing like watching the stunning good looks of someone like James Dean, or the comedy of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin.
I found a collection of silent films on Netflix called "Slapstick Masters" which starts out with Chaplin's "Easy Street". In this short classic, Charlie Chaplin plays a derelict who ends up in church and decides to turn his life around by becoming a police officer. The beat he is assigned is called "Easy Street". Easy Street, is run by a rather large bully yet Chaplin takes this challenge on in true Charlie Chaplin fashion. One of the things that I love about silent films is that they are not funny by being vulgar or trashy or even because they told a funny joke. They are funny because of the way the actors used their bodies, their facial expressions, and their props to convey a story or a scenario.
There are very few actors of today who know how to act like some of the masters before them. John Ritter could do it better than most and unfortunately he's gone. The only actors that I can think of who can make us laugh the way Buster Keaton or Laurel and Hardy could would be Dick Van Dyke although for the movie Benny and June, Johnny Depp did it. For those of you out there in Blog land, I have a challenge for you. If you make video blogs or have a you tube account, make a short silent film and post them here. I would love to see what you guys can do!!
1 comment:
LOL--I bet Connor could do one. Maybe. I should try (when he gets the cast off). You have given me an idea for something to keep him entertained over the next few weeks while he's stuck on the couch. Charlie Chaplin on Netflix!
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